‘The Bronze Bomber’ Deontay Wilder improved his record to 39-0 with 38 knockouts, after emphatically ending the 5th defence of his WBC heavyweight championship in his anticipated rematch with Haiti’s Bermane Stiverne.
The knockout was Wilder’s sixth successive kayo; Wilder demonstrated his concussive punching power as he sent ‘B.Ware’ crashing to the canvas three times before the referee saw fit to bring the proceedings to an abrupt end after a visibily hurt Stiverne seemed unable to continue.
The bad blood between the pair was palpable throughout the whole media build-up and both men talked of inflicting death on another at the final press conference this week and it seemed to spur Wilder on and seemed raring to go from the get go intent on making an emphatic statement.
Wilder started off sharp, feeling Stiverne out behind the jab but it was clear he was looking to drop the right hand at the earliest possible opportunity. It didn’t take too long before Wilder landed it ,sending a seemingly shell shocked Stiverne to the canvas.
Wilder menacingly over Stiverne in a grim reaper like fashion as he struggled to his feet following the knockdown. Wilder pressed his advantage immediately and jumped on his vulnerable opponent and sent him crashing to the canvas again following a thudding left-right combination.
Stiverne, to his credit gallantly tried to continue and rose from the canvas a second time but the end was near, Wilder forced a shaken Stiverne into yet another exchange and ripped a right uppercut which landed flush on Stiverne’s chin rendering him sprawled out damaged goods unable to continue.
Following the knockout, Wilder caught up with Showtime’s Jim Gray and said “You have to give props to Stiverne for stepping in the ring with me, I want peace. We do what we have to do in the ring, at least he is a clean fighter and he stepped up. He did the best he could do.” before touching on his physical gifts which made him simply too much of a challenge for Stiverne “I’m too athletic, I’m mobile, I’m hostile, I have the heart of a lion. I am the king.
Wilder also made clear his focus is clearly on the IBO, IBF and WBA (Super) heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (20-0) for a blockbuster 2018 clash and had a message for his heavyweight rival “I’ve been waiting on the fight for a long time, listen ‘AJ’, I declare war on you. I’ve been waiting for a long time. I know I’m the champion, I know I’m the best, are you up for the test?
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